Valley
Metro
Rail
Gives
Nod
to
Vehicle
Manufacturer
November
20,
2003
Contract
Awaiting
Board
Approval
in
December
Phoenix,
AZ
-
Valley
Metro
Rail
announced
today
that
its
review
panel
is
recommending
the
agency
award
a
contract
to
a
joint
venture
between
Japanese
manufacturer
Kinkisharyo
(king-kee-shar-ee-oh)
and
the
Mitsui
(Mit-soo-ee)
Company
to
produce
vehicles
for
the
Valley's
light
rail
system.
The
contract
still
needs
to
be
approved
by
the
Valley
Metro
Rail
Board
and
is
scheduled
for
review
at
its
December
meeting.
If
approved,
the
$115
million
contract
would
be
the
largest
single
contract
for
the
agency
for
its
20-mile
light
rail
starter
line
scheduled
to
break
ground
next
year.
The
proposed
contract
includes
36
vehicles
at
$2.92
million
each,
with
options
for
up
to
39
more,
as
well
as
spare
parts
and
tools
and
equipment
to
test
and
maintain
the
vehicles.
The
joint
venture
received
the
highest
score
in
the
agency
panel's
evaluation
of
four
worldwide
manufacturers
competing
for
the
contract,
based
on
a
combination
of
technical
criteria,
company
capabilities
and
price.
Though
not
a
part
of
the
evaluation
process,
Valley
Metro
officials
said
Kinkisharyo's
excellent
performance
record
of
on-time
delivery
of
vehicles
for
other
rail
projects
was
an
added
bonus.
The
company
has
manufactured
vehicles
for
light
rail
systems
in
Dallas
,
New
Jersey
and
Santa
Clara
,
Calif.
The
custom
light
rail
vehicles
will
begin
to
arrive
for
testing
in
summer
2006
and
will
be
housed
at
Valley
Metro
Rail's
maintenance
and
storage
facility
in
east
Phoenix
.
Light
Rail
Vehicles
The
light
rail
vehicle
car
bodies
will
be
manufactured
in
Japan
,
with
at
least
60
percent
of
the
components
manufactured
in
the
United
States
to
meet
federal
Buy-America
requirements.
Final
assembly
of
the
light
rail
vehicles
will
be
in
Arizona
,
however,
the
location
of
the
assembly
plant
has
not
yet
been
determined.
Each
light
rail
vehicle
is
approximately
90
feet
long
and
will
hold
150
passengers.
Vehicles
can
be
linked
into
three
car
trains
that
will
span
the
length
of
a
downtown
city
block.
Passenger
amenities
include
entry
floors
level
with
the
station
platforms,
four
spaces
for
wheelchair-assisted
passengers
and
four
hanging
bicycle
racks
inside
each
vehicle.
Other
vehicle
manufacturers
who
submitted
final
proposals
for
the
vehicle
contract
included
Bombardier
(Bom-bahr-dee-ay),
Siemens
(See-mens)
and
CAF
USA
.
Valley
Metro
Rail
is
a
non-profit,
public
corporation
overseeing
the
design,
construction
and
operation
of
the
light
rail
system.
The
Valley's
light
rail
system
is
scheduled
to
begin
construction
in
late
spring
2004
and
open
beginning
in
late
2006,
with
the
final
phase
of
the
20-mile
starter
route
operational
in
August
2007.
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